The present invention relates generally to the field of bar coding items. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bar code label and the method of attaching a bar code label to medications or other items. The present invention is specifically described with respect to the bar coding of medications, but the principles involved are also applicable to bar coding other items.
In the last two decades, hospital pharmacies have instituted unit dose dispensing. This means that each individual dose of medication is packaged separately. For example, aspirin would be packaged such that there would be one aspirin tablet in each package. During this period, the process has evolved from the individual pharmacy labelling and packaging every unit dose to the vast majority of unit doses dispensed being packaged by the drug manufacturer. Unit dose medication packages are usually 1.times.10 or 2.times.5 packages.
As a rule, the individual pharmacy still labels and/or bar codes each of the individual unit doses because the drug manufacturer usually only has a bar code on a bulk package containing many unit dose packages. It is anticipated, however, that bar coding in the not too distant future will be the responsibility of the manufacturer. In the meantime, there is a need for a method and apparatus which will allow for bar coding by the hospital pharmacy in an inexpensive and automated fashion.
Placing a bar code on each unit dose package facilitates positive drug identification and administration charting at the patient's bedside because the bar code identifies the drug type, dosage and manufacturer. A nurse, using a bar code reading device, can scan the bar code attached to a unit dose package and thus make a record of and double check the medication and dosage being administered to the patient with that which was prescribed. Thus, a system of attaching a bar code easily and inexpensively to each unit dose package medication is highly desirable. Attachment of the bar code can occur in any location in the drug distribution chain prior to administration.
The present invention solves the problem of labelling different sizes of unit dose medication packages quickly and accurately as well as other problems with labelling unit dose medication packages.